“Play is the way kids try the world on for size and imagine their place in it” – Raffi Why is it that everything feels so choreographed these days? Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE routine. It gives me structure – a way of organising my life – day-in-day-out. And it’s great for kids! You can find out … Continued
We tend to overly complicate our kids’ lives in this modern world. From scheduled playdates to structured activities to meticulously planned-out road trips, we’ve forgotten the beauty of puttering around our own homes and neighborhoods finding imaginative things to do to pass the time. According to the American Association of Pediatrics, in a 2007 study on … Continued
“Fifty-six percent of all working parents say the balancing act is difficult, and those who do are more likely to say that parenting is tiring and stressful, and less likely to find it always enjoyable and rewarding.” – Stressed, Tired, Rushed: A Portrait of the Modern Family, NYTimes.com, November 2015 It doesn’t matter what you … Continued
From toddlers to teens, our world is now dominated by screens. With plenty of experts and material on the matter, parents have often asked for a guide that helps them take charge of technology in their home. So, we decided to review Noel Janis-Norton’s book — Calmer, Easier, Happier Screen Time — to see if … Continued
“Megan, get off the tablet. NOW!” – Unknown Are you tired of nagging your kids to get off their screens? Do you find it hard to explain to your child why they need to get off their devices? When it comes to limiting screen time, most kids don’t get why it makes sense to introduce screen … Continued
“Managing kids’ technology use was once much easier for parents. They switched off the television when a show was over or kept an eye on kids as they used the family computer in the living room,” – Alexis Hiniker, author of “Not at the Dinner Table”. Alexis is right, managing tech expectations used to be … Continued
…for rainy days, snow days, holidays and every day. Screens are sticky things. Not literally sticky like the lollipop welded to the carpet. But sticky in that they’re hard to put down or ignore. It’s because they’re addictive. Like SERIOUSLY addictive. Every like, text, level-up or tweet triggers the release of the feel-good chemical dopamine. And our … Continued
“Can you explain why you’d give a one year old an iPad?” Yes, Adam Alter can. As he so accurately summarizes in his new book Irresistible, iPads make the job of parenting seem much easier (at least in the heat of the moment). So, we read his book to summarise the key points we loved … Continued
“We know that kids who play video games and use technology for an hour a day are actually psychologically healthier than kids who spend 3 or more hours a day with video games and also psychologically healthier than kids who don’t spend any time at all.” – Dr Randy Kulman, Learning Works for Kids Do … Continued
“A bad day can tell you more about yourself than a good day.” — Andy Ogle [British mixed martial artist]. Let’s start off by saying, don’t despair if you can’t always keep to your screen time routine. We learn more about ourselves on the bad days than we do on the good days. The trick – … Continued